GAZA, (PIC)
Israeli forces detained 345 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla after intercepting dozens of vessels in international waters as they sailed from the Turkish coast toward Gaza in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade of the enclave.
Abdul Rahman al-Kahlout, a member of the flotilla team, said Israeli forces detained the activists from 39 vessels, while nine other ships continued sailing toward the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces began their operation against the flotilla Monday evening off the coast of Cyprus, hundreds of kilometers from Gaza, detaining dozens of participants during the initial stage of the assault.
Israeli media said the detained activists were transferred to an Israeli navy vessel equipped with a floating detention facility before being taken to the port of Ashdod.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is part of renewed international efforts to challenge Israel’s blockade on Gaza, where more than two million Palestinians continue to face genocide, starvation and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid.
